Book 14 Chapter 14 生け贄になった巫女 Trans-summary

From Chinese translations by Hinako.

Draft: Version - final
Notes: 小動岬/小动岬 Koyurugimisaki; 腰越 Koshigoe; 佐佐木盛綱 Sasaki Moritsuna
PS: do not distribute this without my permission

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The setting sun had turned the western side of Enoshima into a pane of flaming crimson. At this moment, Kaizaki Makoto was occupied with the preparations for the curse, dictating orders at Okutsunomiya. The base of the enchantment had been set up at Okutsunomiya inside the cave.

"The scope is truly enormous."

Miura Yoshimoto, who had betrayed the Uesugi to bank on assistance from the Satomi, uttered as he stood beside Kaizaki. Yoshimoto was wearing black clerical robes with golden cloth sewings. Bustling about in the Okutsunomiya to establish the base of the enchantment were the associates of Kyoutake real estate.

"The Okutsunomiya and the cave have been connected, with this auxiliary cave as the primary base." Kaizaki, leaning against the pillar with both arms folded across his chest, explained to Yoshimoto. "The shrine maiden serving as the offering shall be arriving soon. Please conduct your invocation here, and call upon Benzaiten. Then immediately transmit Benzaiten's power into the cave."

Yoshimoto looked anxious. This was an important task. The invocation was originally set to be carried out by Kaizaki, however after coming to this place, he had entrusted this assignment to Yoshimoto. Kaizaki's assertion was: In order to demonstrate that the Satomi and Miura have a fair partnership, this enchantment should be implemented by Yoshimoto. Yoshimoto had agreed to it.

"But this matter of allowing me to carry out the enchantment, have you informed Satomi-dono about it yet?"

"If you're wondering about Yoshitaka-sama, I will tell him in time. It's all right, such a strong person like yourself will certainly be up to the task. You are probably far more reliable than I am."

Despite Kaizaki's words, it seemed like Yoshimoto was still uneasy. Kaizaki narrowed his eyes and observed Yoshimoto's manner, all of a sudden the cellphone in his breast pocket rang.

"Hello? Yes, speaking."

A subordinate of the Satomi had called him. Kaizaki nodded his head several times, exchanging a few words with him.

"Masaki-dono has...?"

The subordinate impatiently explained the situation from the other end of the line.

"...I understand. I will leave that matter to you. The curse will begin at midnight as according to plan. That'd be all."

Kaizaki replied, hanging up. Then his expression turned somewhat gloomy as though he was concerned about something, Yoshimoto asked him.

"Has something happened?"

Kaizaki, appearing to come back to his senses, looked at Yoshimoto. "...The captive Uesugi Kagetora has escaped."

"Kagetora has escaped!"

"Masaki Tokishige-dono is currently in pursuit of him. But there is no need to worry. Kagetora-dono's physical body at present is in a state where he cannot make use of his spells. He probably won't be able to hinder us even if he wanted to."

"W-We can't underestimate him!" Yoshimoto's eyes were bloodshot, he said gruffly. "If you are going to be sending troops after Kagetora, let me go! I want to crush the Hojo kinfolk! I want to make Kagetora..."

"That is not acceptable, Yoshimoto-dono." Kaizaki interrupted with a severe tone, Yoshimoto raised his eyes in defiance. "You must stay here to carry out the invocation."

"Even if I don't do this, it will be fine right? I want to crush the Hojo. You can carry out the invocation."

"Are you thinking of escaping?"

Kaizaki asked coldly, Yoshimoto was at a loss for words. An unfeeling expression drifted over Kaizaki's eyes behind his glasses, forcing Yoshimoto to obey him.

"If you cannot stay here and preside over the base of the enchantment, you will not be regarded as one of equal status with the Satomi. You should stay here."

"..."

"About Kagetora-dono, just leave that to us."

Although Yoshimoto wanted to retort, that high-handed intonation of Kaizaki ultimately made him speechless, he could only gnash his teeth in discontent, falling silent.

Seeing Yoshimoto's reaction, Kaizaki lifted his head and gazed at the dark forest of Enoshima. After the sun had set, the atmosphere had begun to grow cold. It seemed like if they intended to operate from night until dawn in this place, it would not be favorable if they did not have substantial provisions to keep them warm.
Takaya would definitely come to prevent the 'Method of Connecting to Hell'. Masaki Tokishige had decided that he would erase Takaya the moment he finds him. Kaizaki creased his brows, revealing an imposing expression.

***

The moment they stepped inside the compound, the fragrance of sea water greeted them. This place known as Koyurugimisaki was located in Koshigoe, east of the seacoast of Katase, there was a shrine called Koyurugi. This was where Sasaki Moritsuna had beckoned the local Shinto deity of Koshigoe at the end of the 12th century, during the Bunji era. Once it was night, the shrine doors would be shut, the surroundings would be in darkness. However tonight, for some reason, the compound was illuminated with lights. The shapes of several people could be seen on the grounds surrounded by the dense forest.
All of them were women.

"Natsuo should be inside right..."

From behind the thicket, Ayako and Reiko pried into the surroundings with rapt attention. Behind them, the 'Leader of the Ken En' Yagami spoke.

"We captured one of the Satomi's subordinates alive and literally forced this information out of him. There's no mistake. The offering would be imprisoned in this place until 10 o'clock tonight."

"..."

They were told that the offering was not to be seen by anyone before the arrival of the escorts, and was thus sealed inside this shrine. There were five shrine maidens keeping watch in the area. Every single one of them had been possessed by the 'Yachou' of the Satomi.

"They look pretty strong..."

Ayako conducted a spiritual examination of them. All of these lookouts possessed fairly strong spiritual powers.

"I'll just have to exorcise them."

"What do you plan to do to those people?"

"They've been possessed." Ayako urged Reiko as though she was saying 'Look'. "Someone like you might be able to see it. All of the shrine maidens have been possessed by souls."

"What?"

"I am now going to expel those souls. After driving them out, we'll change them into our soldiers." Ayako explained, she turned towards Yagami. "Are the 'Ken En' ready?"

"Yes. We are awaiting orders."

"Good. After I give the signal, immediately move into action."

Only Reiko was unclear of the actual situation and felt endlessly frenetic in her heart.

"You mentioned changing them into your soldiers... What do you mean? Change what?"

"Don't concern yourself with that, you just quietly watch what happens. You will swap with Natsuo as according to plan."

Reiko gulped, she was not sure if it was due to nervousness, her expression completely stiffened.

"It's okay, we'll be sure to cover you."

"Kakizaki-sama, there are people approaching from over there."

A shrine maiden, who was clearly a senior, was leading several men to the shrine. She appeared to be the person in charge here. Ayako and the rest held their breaths and hid in the underbrush. It seemed like the chief shrine maiden leading the men was anxiously asking all sorts of questions.

"I was told that the Uesugi have begun to move. Don't let your guards down. That offering is extremely suited to serve as Benzaiten's yorishiro, until the escorts arrive, treat her with care."

"Understood!"

"Has Kaizaki-sama still not made any contact?"

Kaizaki...

Ayako recalled the appearance of Kaizaki whom they had encountered a few days ago. As expected, that man was indeed one of the key officers of the Satomi. Although he was a descendant, she did not expect a modern person to be swept into this thorny issue. Ayako looked bitter, she gestured to Yagami, using her jaw to signal 'Go'. Yagami, without even making a single sound of ruffling bushes, disappeared into the darkness.

What on earth are these people planning to do?

Reiko looked at the side of Ayako's face with a mixture of uneasiness and suspicion. Not long after, a few wretched yells of 'Wahh' came from the opposite end of the promontory.

"What!"

As they had expected, there was an immediate reaction from the lookouts.

"What happened!"

"Intruders!"

The other shrine maidens dashed over from the other side of the forest, crying out loudly.

"An enemy attack! Several men...!"

"What! Capture them at once! ...You people stay here! Don't let anyone come close!"

After ordering the three powerful shrine maidens in this way, the chief shrine maiden ran together with the rest of the lookouts in the direction where the intruders had appeared. Seeing this circumstance, Ayako jumped out from the underbrush.

"What...!"

"Bai!"

Ayako flawlessly dealt the two of them with an external bind.

"Damn it!"

"!"

The other shrine maiden was just about to attack Ayako with an incantation when Ayako turned around and struck her beforehand.

"Warghh!"

"Bai!"

The three shrine maidens struggled to break free of the external binds, however it was useless. They could not move at all. Ayako knotted her fingers into the mudra of Bishamonten, concentrating her spirit.

"Noumakusamanda Bodanan Baishiramandaya Sowaka."

What!

Reiko could not help but doubt what she was witnessing. Another sort of aura, different from Ayako's, rapidly assembled around Ayako's body. That mudra and shingon belonged to Bishamonten. So did this aura. It was the ambience of Bishamonten.

This person is...!

"Namotobatsu Bishamonten! To subjugate the demons, grant me thy power!"

In the darkness of the night, Reiko could see the noble figure of Bishamonten in the raging flames behind Ayako.

"Exorcise!"

White light shot out from Ayako's open palms. Reiko shielded her eyes with her hand. At the same time that the white rays were released, black spiritual forms separated from the three bodies of the shrine maidens and were flung backwards. Then Reiko saw them melt away instantly into the radiance.

"T-This...!"

With this unbelievable scene before her, Reiko could not help but doubt her own eyes. She had never seen this sort of spiritual expulsion.

Incredible...!

Absolutely out of the ordinary. All of the spiritual expulsion methods that Reiko knew of required the burning of joss-sticks or the chanting of scriptures, in short, complicated procedures. But who on earth was this person? By simply concentrating the incantations, she could expel the three souls from the respective bodies. Furthermore, they were not merely expelled.

They've been purified!

The previously possessed shrine maidens dropped to the ground one after another. Reiko came back to her senses and dashed towards them wanting to carry them away.

"Do that later! Nikaido-san, over here!"

Ayako called out, darting towards the main building of the Shinto shrine, blasting the doors open.

"Natsuo-san...!"

Natsuo was there. Dressed in a white kimono, she was lying in a coffin placed in front of the altar as though she was dead. Of course, she was not dead. She was still breathing.

"Natsuo-san...! Yikes!"

The moment Ayako tried to hold Natsuo up, sparks burst out on her fingers as though she had run into static electricity, she reflexively pulled back her fingers as a result of the shock. The coffin itself seemed to possess a certain kind of spiritual energy, functioning as a kekkai.

"Damn it...!"

Ayako took out an object resembling a sort of charm from her clothes, on its surface was written the shingon of the God of Lightning. Ayako pressed it onto the coffin, she prayed to the God of Lightning using her other hand.

"Naumakusanmandaya Bodanan Indaraya Sowaka!"

Crackle crackle!

An intense electric current sped through. In an instant, the entire coffin was blazing in blue-white flames. The opposing force faded away, Ayako held Natsuo up. She was uncertain whether Natsuo had fallen into a state of semi-hypnosis or not, her open eyes were clouded and lifeless.

"Natsuo-san... Natsuo-san!"

Despite shaking her strongly, Natsuo did not recover her wits. Ayako held her forefinger and middle finger together, and pressed at the center of Natsuo's forehead, centralizing her spirit.

"Hah!"

Natsuo's body jolted, sustaining the impact of the induction. She finally regained her consciousness, and sharply opened her eyes. She jumped in fright, seeing Ayako in front of her.

"Ka...Kadowaki-san?"

"You're finally conscious, that's great. You were about to become an offering."

"Offering...?"

"There's no time to explain. Natsuo-san, please swap clothes with her right now."

"Huh...!"

"Hurry!"

Ayako firmly held onto Natsuo and plainly began to take off her clothes. Reiko removed her own clothes as well, exchanging all of them with Natsuo. Ayako was very well prepared, she took out a wig from her handbag she had obtained from someplace that greatly resembled Natsuo's long brown hair, and put it on Reiko.

"This should do. They won't take particular notice of the face, so it doesn't matter. Moreover both you look quite alike."

"Ka...Kadowaki-san, what is..."

Natsuo could not grasp the outline of the situation at all, Ayako told her.

"My accomplices will send you back to your father."

"Father!" It seemed like Natsuo finally remembered. "Is Father okay! Was he saved!"

"Your father should be taking refuge at the temporary shelter together with the rest of the island's residents."

"Taking refuge..."

"I'll slowly go through the details of the situation with you later. What's important is..."

Ayako said, turning towards Nikaidou Reiko, now completely attired in white robes. Reiko's face was stiff from worry. She would be leaving for Enoshima later, replacing Natsuo as the yorishirou of Benzaiten.

Despite the term yorishirou, it actually referred to an offering. One who became an offering presented to Benzaiten, would be bestowed with all of its power. The burden that would have to be carried when Benzaiten lodged in the physical body was extremely immense, it was said that most of the yorishirou would ultimately lose their lives as a result... though this was also a testament to how much power a tenbu like Benzaiten held.

That was why Reiko, who had far more competent spiritual endurance than Natsuo, had been selected as the replacement.

"It's okay. Trust us." Ayako told Reiko. "Kagetora will certainly protect and shield you. You definitely won't be manipulated by the Satomi, no matter what."

"...Really?" Reiko asked in a stiff tone. "Will it really be okay?"

"Kagetora is a man of his words." Ayako said with brimming confidence. "Believe in him, relax. He's very powerful. No matter what the situation, he definitely won't fail to live up to the expectations of others. Whatever the Satomi's strength is, it can't compare with his. It'll be fine."

Reiko recalled that forthright and pure expression in his eyes. Resolute and clear, beautiful eyes that were full of assurance. ...That sort of person, will he protect her?

The young man consistently having something to do with 'area #36'.

He was certainly no ordinary person to be repeatedly involved in those strange happenings. As though Reiko was saying 'I understand', she nodded. He would not just abandon her right. Reiko felt that he would not. Trust him then.

Ayako staunchly nodded in response.

"...!"

Sensing that there were people behind her, she turned around in shock. It was Yagami, who had already returned to the shrine. Yagami brought along the Satomi's chief shrine maiden. The hands of the chief shrine maiden had been tied to the back, her head drooped down as if in remorse.

"Yagami..."

"The Satomi's lookouts have all been dealt with."

A sound came from behind Yagami. Takaya and Kotarou appeared on the stone steps over there.

"Kagetora."

"Suga-san, seems like you're all right. That's good."

"What about the Satomi's subordinates?"

"The souls that had possessed the shrine maidens have all been secured. I've let the 'Ken En' possess them in return. Those shrine maidens would be regarded as the attendants of the yorishirou and thus be taken along. In this way, we can infiltrate Enoshima."

Takaya explained, walking to Yagami's side, he grabbed the hair of the chief shrine maiden, forcing her to lift her face.

"Damn... you..., you bunch of scoundrels..."

"We'll be relying on you to show us the way." Takaya uttered in a dictatorial tone at the chief shrine maiden whose face was contorted in protest. "You will lead the yorishirou and the shrine maidens to Enoshima, as according to your orders."

An insipid sneer appeared on Takaya's lips as he looked into the eyes of the chief shrine maiden. Her entire body shook all of a sudden, then stiffened without moving.

"...It's alright. Nothing happened here. Nothing strange happened."

The eyes of the chief shrine maiden very quickly lost their expression, sinking into a state of hypnosis. Takaya's whispering voice became a hypnotic intimation.

"The next time you open your eyes, all you have to do is continue to act as according to your orders. No disturbance occurred in this place, neither was there any unusual situation."

The chief shrine maiden half closed her eyelids, lapsing into a stupor as the intimation took its effect. Takaya signaled to Ayako and the others, Ayako stripped off the clothes from one of the shrine maidens that had collapsed and put them on.
After Ayako had finished changing, Kotarou carried that woman's body. It seemed like Takaya had decided to take the aforementioned woman and Natsuo together to a safe place, he urged Kotarou to first proceed to the car.

Then the shrine maidens formerly possessed by the Satomi and Kotarou shuffled together, assembling beside Takaya. Replacing the Satomi, all of them were now possessed by the Uesugi's 'Ken En'. The two remaining individuals that had been exorcised by Ayako were also possessed by the 'Ken En', they stood up all of a sudden. There were ten shrine maidens altogether. Standing side by side, they made for quite a magnificent sight.

"Suga-san."

Natsuo came running over when Takaya called her. Yagami stepped to the front.

"Kagetora-sama. How should I act next?"

"You will stay here and monitor the situation. If there's any sound of something astir, immediately report back. I'll be taking the locomotive to send Suga-san back to her father's side, will be back very soon."

After telling Ayako 'I'll leave the rest to you', Takaya's line of sight shifted to Nikaidou Reiko who was fully dressed in white. Reiko looked over with a frozen expression.

"It's okay." Takaya said in a steady voice. "I'll take responsibility for protecting your body at Koyurugimisaki. There's no need to be worried, you can rely on me."

"..."

Reiko looked at Takaya somewhat fascinated. Takaya was not posturing, neither was he saying these words due to worry, on the contrary he was carrying out these actions calmly and naturally.

Like what my grandmother used to say.

Reiko thought back on the words of her grandmother, who was a psychic. She had said, when choosing to whom she would entrust herself to, the first thing to do was to look into his eyes. The person who would be capable of protecting her was bound to be powerful. People say that the eyes are the window to one's soul, at the same time they also illustrate that person's confidence, honesty and other special characteristics.

This is a gentle person...

Reiko did not know why she felt this way. All of his emotions were shown in his eyes, bordering on overbearing candor. That was why she felt that his eyes were so beautiful, it was surely because of that bareness of his.
Takaya was extremely composed. Reiko felt that he regarded her own strength to be worthy, someone who had confidence in her worth. The tension in Reiko's expression disappeared.

"I shall count on you."

Takaya nodded. That was an expression full of sureness and fortitude.
The night gradually deepened, the moment of the start of the curse was indeed approaching.

***

---

- it starts to drizzle
- at 10pm the Satomi's escorts come from Enoshima to Koyurugi shrine, Reiko is directed to a palanquin carried by the male escorts and the shrine maidens follow behind in a procession; Ayako and Yagami are among the shrine maidens; chief shrine maiden is completely unaware of the switch
- Takaya and Kotarou stay behind in the Koyurugi shrine compounds; Takaya heads up the lookout tower and gazes at Enoshima, Kotarou is beside him; Takaya is ready for battle

- the shrine maidens procession arrives at the blockade to the Enoshima flyover; reporters in the vicinity are stunned
- the policemen at the blockade allow the procession to pass through, which causes an uproar among reporters
- Sakaki Shuuichi is among the crowd, he had finally escaped; he recognizes Reiko seated in the palanquin and tries to persuade the policemen to let him through, using his identity as a special investigator
- Masaki Tokishige pushes him back and aims a gun at him, warning him against any foolish actions; Sakaki is somewhat overwhelmed by Masaki's assassin-like countenance
- the shrine maidens pass by Hetsunomiya, Nakatsunomiya, proceeding to the Okutsunomiya; on the way, they happen upon Kaizaki who looks at them suspiciously; Ayako prays for Kaizaki to not recognize them; Kaizaki doesn't say a word and they pass by without any hitches

- after that Yoshitaka arrives at Enoshima, Kaizaki is waiting for him and informs him that Yoshimoto will now be in charge of the invocation; Yoshitaka is startled, Kaizaki reasons that the Uesugi have begun to move thus it'd be best for him to be free to protect his lords
- Yoshitaka is a bit disappointed as he wanted to complete the curse together with Yoshiyori and Kaizaki; he tells Kaizaki that once the Night Devil Path is opened he will give Kaizaki Enoshima
- Yoshitaka leaves for the cave

Original fiction © Kuwabara Mizuna.